Banjo



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES AUGUS"US IVOODHULL, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,442, dated April 14, 1891.

Application filed June 18, 1890- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES AUGUSTUS \VOODHULL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjos, of which the following 'is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in banjos or other parchmcnt-headed musical instruments, which I call a resonance ring or hoop, and is intended to prevent the sound from being transmitted to the rim of the banjo or other instrument on which the head is stretched,and thus produce a clear non-metallic sound, which is so noticeable in instruments of the class where parchment heads are used. It is well known that various devices have been devised to obviate thisamong others, metallic tubes with perforations. \Vhile instruments provided with such perforated tubes have to an extent overcome the metallic sound, yet the resonancering devised by me, and which I herein describe, I believe possesses the elements still lacking in others to make it perfect, and an instrument provided with my mechanism produces the most agreeable tones, being melodious and penetrating without being either metallic or harsh.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents the ring or hoop E as applied to a banjo with a section of the head A cut away, exposing the hoop or ring Fig. 2 represents a crosssection showing the position of the ring or hoop E as applied to a banjo, in which the rim B, head A, stretching hoop C, and hook I) are shown.

Like letters represent like parts.

This resoilance-ring is so constructed that. it can be applied to any instrument now in use. Besides its application to banjos, I find that it gives great satisfaction when employed in tambourines,giving a clear ringing sound. When applied to drums, the same effect is noticeable.

Serial No. 355,888. (No model.)

The resonance ring or hoop consists of a metallic hoop or ring in which the edges are turned inwardly toward each other in such a manner that a slot runs all around the inner side or periphery of the ring or hoop, thus giving the air free circulation 'within the hollow, and by this means preventing the sound-waves from being transmitted to the body of the instrument. In practice I prefer to make the hoop or ring a little larger than the head of the instrument, so that it will overlap the rim of the instrument to which it is applied. The parchment head is stretched over the ringin the usual manner or by other suitable means.

I am aware that a patent was granted to Henry C. Dobson November 8, 1881, No. 249,32l,for a metal ring having downwardlyprojecting flanges upon which the parchment head rests; and also the patent granted to James Morrison September 26, 1882, No. 264,803, in which he claims a metal ringsupported 011 pins, &c.; but what I claim as new in the construction of parchment-headed musical instruments is a metallic tube havinga continuous slot on the inner periphery or side thereof, which slot is on a line with the parchment head and which is placed between the rim or body of the instrument and the head.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A parchment-headed instrument provided with a slotted metallic tube laid between the parchment and the rim, the slot being on the inner periphery or side of the tube and run ning, on a line with the head.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 24th day of April, A. D. 1890.

CHARLES AUGUSTUS \VOODIIULL.

\Vitnesses:

A. L. KNIGHT, GEoReE FEHRING. 

